Somewhere, Howell Raines is smiling

“But at some point, saturation coverage of a story begins to raise more questions about the newspaper’s motives than about the story being covered. The Times reachedâ€šÃ„Ã®and passedâ€šÃ„Ã®that point this morning with its 40th-plus news story, column, or editorial (since July!) about the Augusta National Golf Club’s refusal to admit female members. Only a five-star general like Raines could have commanded such extravagant coverage as this.”

(On July 13, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art confirmed that, as of August 1, it would be raising its suggested admission price from $15 to $20.)

“Museum Is to Raise Its Admission Fee to $20”
July 13, 2006
By CAROL VOGEL, The New York Times

“For $15, Admission to the Metropolitan. For 50 Cents, a Real Museum Experience.”
July 15, 2006
By RANDY KENNEDY, The New York Times

“Into the Metropolitan Museum: Whatâ€šÃ„Ã´s It Worth to You?”
July 21, 2006
By DAVID LEONHARDT, The New York Times

“Should Art Museums Always Be Free? Thereâ€šÃ„Ã´s Room for Debate”
July 22, 2006
By ROBERTA SMITH, The New York Times

At this rate–which, admittedly, will be hard to sustain–the Times will have churned out 60 pieces on the Met’s new (suggested) admission price by the end of November. Girodet and Cai Guo-Qiang fans: the new multi-millionaire female golfers.